Extreme declaration

Romania: Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

“You are lying!” Lieutenant Grecu screamed at the imprisoned pastor, Richard Wurmbrand. “Tell us the truth about your Christian activities and about others in your church! Here, you must write out for me all the rules that you have broken in the prison.”

Wurmbrand sat and quietly wrote down all of the prison rules he had broken. When he was finished, he added one final paragraph: “I have never spoken against the Communists. I am a disciple of Christ, who has given us love for our enemies. I understand them and pray for their conversion so that they will become my brothers in the Faith.” He signed his name boldly at the bottom.

Grecu read the “declaration.” His face softened as he got to the end, overwhelmed that Wurmbrand could write about loving a government that had arrested and tortured him. “This love,” he said. “That is one of your Christian commandments that no one can keep.”

“It’s not a matter of keeping a commandment,” Richard replied gently. “When I became a Christian it was as if I had been reborn, with a new character full of love. Just as only water can flow from a spring, only love can come from a loving heart.”

In the following months, Wurmbrand spoke of Christ’s love many more times to Lieutenant Grecu, who eventually prayed to receive Christ!

Declaring your faith in Christ is simply saying it loud enough for others to hear and receive it. It doesn’t mean you’re obnoxious. It doesn’t mean you must be extraordinarily extroverted. It simply means you are an open book for others to read about Jesus Christ. And you’re willing to read it aloud when necessary. We are often hesitant in our witness for Christ. We don’t wish to offend. We don’t want to be ill received. And yet our taciturn testimony may cause us to miss the opportunity to lead someone to faith in Christ. What would it mean for you to declare your faith in Christ today? To whom should you define and deliver God’s message of grace?

Excerpted from Extreme Devotion, a book of 365 true accounts of men and women who totally sold out for Jesus. You can order a copy of this book from our online catalogue or by contacting our office.